Translation: Now we can finally lay it bare!

One year on from The Wings of Farewell…

An interview with Kawamori Shouji

From Sheryl ~Kiss in the Galaxy~ volume 4 (October 12, 2012)

Disclaimer: Translation completed 4 April, 2013. Please do not copy and paste this anywhere else online, though you are quite welcome to refer to it in discussions etc. And whatever your ship, please keep in mind that this was an interview released back in 2012 in the final volume of the Sheryl manga.

Post unlocked: December 25, 2015

What would Sheryl and Alto’s married life be like!? Ranka’s romance, Klan and Michel’s after the end…and more. Undisclosed until now, the director reveals many details about the private and love lives of the Macross Frontier characters!

Looking back now, why do you think Alto chose Sheryl in the end?

Well, his feelings towards Ranka had become something akin to that of an older brother’s. Furthermore, if you think about it, Sheryl is actually the weaker one. Although she appears strong, it’s like she’s just putting up a front.

So although Alto had originally thought that she was strong, when he came to know her weaknesses, I think he just felt something tug at his heart. You could say that he was fascinated by that gap between what he originally thought and the reality* (laughs).

* the term used here is “gap moe” (ギャップ萌え). -karice

Could you tell us about what Sheryl has that Ranka does not, and vice versa, what Ranka has that Sheryl does not?

It’s not that Ranka doesn’t put the depth of feelings into her songs as Sheryl does. However, because Sheryl went through a period where she felt that she’d be unable to live if she could not sing, her songs have more-or-less become the foundation of her life. On the other hand, Ranka is able to sing a bit more naturally. That’s the main difference between the two of them.

My mama is a pilot!?

If Sheryl and Alto got married, what kind of household do you think they would build?

Well…Sheryl is terrible at housework, not to mention she doesn’t really have a sense of what ‘a normal, everyday life’ is. You could say that one of the things Ranka possesses that Sheryl doesn’t is the sense of a normal everyday life (laughs). The everyday life of a typical woman is something alien to her. So Alto would probably be caught up in the mess of having to completely look after her…

And what kind of mother would Sheryl make?

I think it’s Alto who would be the mother. I can just see him cross-dressing, with an apron on, cosplaying as a housewife whilst holding a baby and giving it its milk. I feel like Sheryl would dump the baby on Alto and head out to work.

It seems like it’d be better to marry into Sheryl’s ‘family’, after all.

She’d also be likely to say something along the lines of “Just who do you think would marry out!” Though whilst Alto might be trained for it, would he be able to endure?

An eternity of jealous fights

How about Ranka’s married life?

Ranka seems like someone who could continue being an idol even if she got married and had children. She worked an Nyan Nyan before, so she probably can do housework to a certain extent. I’m sure that Sheryl would give it a shot, but the quality of her work would be…

Sheryl would try so hard that she’d put too much into it to do it well. I have to admit that this part of her is quite cute, though.

True that. That’s why she’s not suited to staying at home. In times of peace, it’d probably work out quite well, but if Alto receives orders to fight, it’d be rather difficult. Sheryl also gives off the impression that she’d call for him to come and get her “right now!” out of the blue when she’s on a tour to other islands (laughs). Or she’d say “why aren’t you by my side!?”―I think it’d be quite challenging.

I get the impression that their relationship would be a continuous cycle of fighting and making up…

That’s how I feel about it. If they get married, and Alto isn’t able to come when she calls because he is in a battle or something like that, Sheryl would snap and tell him “I’m leaving you!’―that kind of thing. But then again, separating for a short time like that could improve their relationship later on.

It feels like neither of them would have their hearts moved by anyone else.

Well…in Sheryl’s case, I do wonder about that (laughs). It’s ok whilst she’s still in her teens, but it might be dangerous once she hits her 20s and joins the acting word as well—having such a high sense of professionalism, she might immerse herself into her roles too fully… On the other hand, once she hits her 30s, she’d calm down. That said, it seems like she’d continue arguing with Alto forever. Even as a grandma, she’d be like “why are you more beautiful than me!?”

Poor Luca… (^^;

The one I’d want as my lover is…

Moving on, how about Klan and Michel?

With regards to these two, I feel like they wouldn’t get married. In Macross 7, Max and Milia—the genius couple from SDFM who had gotten married—had separated even though they’d had seven children together. Genius couples simply don’t work out. Besides, I feel like Klan would be unable to bear Michel’s unfaithfulness.

If they did get married, it’d be a shotgun marriage. But Michel treats Klan like a treasure that he should not tarnish. It’s something of a dangerous road (for the two of them).

What do you think of Ranka and Brera as a couple?

We’d thought about including Brera and making it a love quadrangle right from the start. If the problem of them being blood relatives could be cleared, that is.

But, if they were to get married…Brera really doesn’t have any idea of what a married life would be like. They’d probably sort of work as a couple, but I feel like he’d just continue as if he were a bodyguard or an older brother to Ranka. He’d console her, and coddle her, but I worry if they’d actually be able to have a lively conversation. He might even become something of an ‘evil father figure’, completely opposed to any guy who tries to court Ranka.

Bobby! I thought you supported their love?!

And what about Ozma and Cathy?

Those two can never get away from one another, so they’d probably work it out. Furthermore, they’ve both matured just that little bit more.

So which Macross F character would you like as your lover?

That’s a difficult question to answer. Sheryl…would be quite a handful, I think.

Previously, when asked about Lynn Minmay, you gave quite a similar response, didn’t you?

Those two are girls that I’d like to gaze at from all angles from a distance. They’re like the sun, if you’re too close to them, you’d be burnt.

Ranka would be like a little sister. Though with her high spirits, it’d be fun to be out-and-about with her.

Take your pick!

A newlywed life with Sheryl

The bridge bunnies all seem like they’d be something of a handful…and Cathy has a little too much pride… As for Nanase, there’s something about her feelings that is a little troubling…

Her love for Ranka seems rather strong, doesn’t it? How about Kanaria?

Kanaria…doesn’t seem like the ‘lover’ type. She’s more like an older sister.

And how about Grace?

It’s difficult to say. Perhaps someone like Ranka’s mum when she was young.

But we sure have a collection of girls with their own challenges, don’t we? (laughs) For an anime, that’s just about right, though.

Then what about characters that you’d like to have as your younger or older sister?

For a younger sister, definitely Ranka. Klan might also be good as a younger sister. I’d like to have Kanaria as an older sister, but Grace would be scary: I think she’d be quite be strict. Cathy as an older sister seems somewhat unreliable, so she’d be more like a younger sister. Klan in her Zentran mode could work as an older sister too, I think.

And which character would you like to take as a wife?

I feel that taking photos as newlyweds with Sheryl or Ranka to show off to other people would be the best scenario (laughs). Living together with either of them seems like it would be really challenging in the long run. The one most likely to work out would probably be Monica.

Captain, you are one lucky bastard!

But if I can set a time limit on it, then I’d like to try going with Sheryl. A time limit of three months would be perfect (laughs). That said, if we were to go on a honeymoon, I feel like we’d get into a lot of troublesome situations, ones involving people around us, too. Sheryl is just naturally quite selfish—I don’t think she realises just how selfish she is (laughs).

But be that as it may, she’s also very warm and dedicated when it comes to concerts for charity and remembrance. That’s something that comes naturally to her.

What vision do you have in your mind about a newlywed life with Sheryl?

I think that every day with her would be very stimulating and interesting, but whilst all those stimuli would be very enjoyable, I wonder how long my body would last… That’s why a limit of three months would be good (laughs). I mean, it’d be like going to a theme park every single day. After it’s over, I’d look back and think that it would have been better if I’d done this or that – that kind of earnest regret would be great (laughs).

What is the meaning of “Hard luck glamour”?

Please tell us about any incidents that you were not able to include in the films.

Right after ‘The False Diva’, because Sheryl was unable to pay off the extra charges from the SMS bill, she had no choice but to hold performances all around Island 3. One of those was poolside at a casino, where she cosplayed as a pharaoh singing ‘Gira Gira Summer’ at the Gira Summer Event. A rather embarrassing affair where she had gold dust painted on her as part of a show on top of that pool.

Were there any other scenes that you wanted to add?

We’d intended to add scenes about Sheryl’s trial. For the sake of any viewers for whom the second film was their first taste (of Macross Frontier), I wanted to provide a bit of background information on the state of affairs in Macross as well as on Sheryl’s standing, whilst also displaying her resolve. But we cut it out because it was too difficult to fit it all in.

Please tell us about the meaning of the words that Sheryl wrote on the wall of Alcatraz, “Hard luck glamour.”

That was actually a bit of homework I’d given Kanno Youko, under the topic of “Lyrics that Sheryl writes on the walls of the prison.” Right at the very last minute, those were the words that Kanno-san came up with.

Is Sheryl referring to herself there?

That’s right. But I’m not sure whether she’s singing in hope, despair or self-mockery. Even if the lyrics seem dark, if the music is bright then a different message will be conveyed. At this point, it’s an incomplete song.

Watching this scene again, I have to admit it was pretty impressive…

There were many amazing set pieces for the concerts in these films – from the Black and White Rabbit and the Magical Girl stages to the one at the prison. Were there any others that you had wanted to try?

There are many many things that I want to try, but the big challenge is that they change completely the moment you put them to paper. For “Forbidden Elixir,” it took us forever to come up with the test tubes and other experimental apparatus that made up that set piece.

If we’re just talking about ideas, then there are many things that I want to try for street performances. And I’d like to do a few of them from here on, so I can’t say anything for the moment (laughs).

On another note, one thing that we tried to do in the films that didn’t quite work out was a scene at the beach. We tried to have a performance under water, so-to-speak. Part of it appears for a moment in the “Universal Bunny” number, but I really want to do it more completely. What we came up with involved bubbles and other things like that.

I seems like you could really make a film composed entirely of a whole heap of performances.

I’d like to do something in both 2D and 3D. Now, you can make some amazing works with the variety of tools, not to mention the knowhow, at your disposal.

Lynn Minmay in Flashback 2012

A new Macross F work that Kawamori would work on?

Do you have any plans to continue the story of Macross F after the end of these films?

As was the case with SDFM, the “what happens next” of performers is really difficult to deal with. Just take a look at the performing arts world of our own times – very few couples actually live happily ever after. Furthermore, those who do live happily ever after lead lives that are dramatically lacking. The cycle of getting together and separating would be possible in overseas TV shows and films, but if we did that for a Japanese anime, then I feel like a lot of viewers would stop watching after just one round.

Furthermore, as long as we don’t come up with any extraordinary ideas for the climax, it would be difficult to make a 2-hour long piece.

Would it be possible to make a short movie then?

If it were an extra or a short-mid length piece, then of course I’d love to make one. A TV special of around 45 minutes—not one about what happened ‘after the end’, but rather an episode that took place something during the course of events—I’d love to make something like that.

In the manga, the focus hasn’t been on battle scenes, but rather on incidents of a more familiar type. I’ve really enjoyed that. If we could make such incidents the centre of a short extra, then there’s a chance of success. That’s why, rather than TV or film, we might be able to do something new with Macross F in a different medium such as manga. Though even on film, if it’s something like a 30 minute collaborative piece, then I’d like to try it.

From Macross ff(image credits: hoshikira—thank you for passing these to me back in the day!)

And in Alto’s absence…?!

Do you have any plans to make a new Macross series?

If we were to make something on the scale of a new TV series or film, first, we’d come up against the problem of deciding who the adversaries are. That’s because all fans of the series know that the final battle will be won through song. We’ve already used a range of enemies, from alien humanoids and humans all the way to other alien life forms, so it’s going to be tough to figure out what’s next.

Any ideas for the next heroine?

That’s a tough one. Ranka and Sheryl, both singularly and together, brought out the best of the essence of the Macross series. In Western film, they might go with ‘Alto not coming back, and another guy appearing before Ranka and Sheryl’ (laughs). But I feel that that’s not something that anime fans would allow.

Finally, please tell us a little about the new film project, Macross FB7.

This work is something that I’ve left completely to (Macross 7 director) Amino Tetsuro. Stylistically, it’s about what happens when Ozma and the other members of the cast find and watch a recording of Fire Bomber. A performance with Sheryl and Ranka is included, of course.

It’s something that I’d really like fans who’ve joined us with Macross F to watch. Through the fence, they’d be able to get a glimpse of the passion that inspired Sheryl’s “Listen to my song!”

15 Responses to Translation: Now we can finally lay it bare!

You were right, this would get some people on both sides so mad. LOL Let me see, it’s the final nail in the coffin for AruRan (nah, they would argue over the series), complicated married life for Sheryl and Alto (though if it’s like the last 2 chapters of KitG 4, then it’s more cute than anything to worry about), the idea of BreRan, Kawamori thinking of Ranka as a younger sister too, Klan and Michael not working out, no sequels, bringing up the idea that in western media Sheryl and Ranka might move on if Alto never comes back. Oh, dear.

Personally, I love this interview. From what I can tell, Sheryl and Ranka are singing at the GiraSummer event (GiraSama on the screen behind them) at the end of FF, so Kawamori got his inbetween story made into a manga.
I think both KitG 4 and FF give a good impression of what Sheryl and Alto’s life would be like, Sheryl even remarks that he acts like a Mom.

The idea of Sheryl in her 20’s and calming down in her 30’s is very interesting too. I never really got why people insisted she and Alto marry right after Frontier, as much as I liked the wedding pictures and the end of volume 4. On the one hand I really wanted to see it happen, on the other hand it felt unrealistic so I’m glad it’s manga only. They are very young, and even though they’ve been through a lot, I think it’s best to give couples time before they settle down.

Kawamori seems to think all the girls are a little complicated. Than again, the original Bridge Bunnies were kind of hard to date too.

Too bad they never made an animated version of that pharaoh scene.

I would argue on Sheryl being “the weak one”, Ranka was very strong in the movie/by the end of the series, she never faced the same problems Sheryl did, like living on the streets or certain death. It’s an interesting subject that I wish people had a chance to debate without jumping each other, but that won’t happen, sadly. I could argue for both cases if I think about it. That said, I understand what Kawamori means about Alto’s feeling. Maybe it was Sheryl crying and keeping to herself, while pushing to go on and trying to show she was still strong that tugged at his heart.

In a large part it’s due to May’n and Megumi, but Kawamori hit the nail on the head with how their songs come off to me.

Thanks a lot for your hard work, it was a pleasure finally getting to read this! Both this and the others were very insightful.

You were right, this would get some people on both sides so mad. LOL Let me see, it’s the final nail in the coffin for AruRan (nah, they would argue over the series), complicated married life for Sheryl and Alto (though if it’s like the last 2 chapters of KitG 4, then it’s more cute than anything to worry about), the idea of BreRan, Kawamori thinking of Ranka as a younger sister too, Klan and Michael not working out, no sequels, bringing up the idea that in western media Sheryl and Ranka might move on if Alto never comes back. Oh, dear.

I know, right? I was a little bit depressed by what he said about Klan and Michel!!! But otherwise, the whole thing just cracks me up, and I really don’t want another war to break out over it!!

Agreed. When I read all those summaries of FF, I figured out that this was where he decided to go into those ‘dramas’. Alto fussing over Sheryl is just cute – if I think about it, that’s the kind of interaction I expect them to have, just like when they were cooking ‘together’ in episode 23, or even when she visited him in hospital in the 2nd film. Though, as Kawamori observed, I wonder if Alto would be able to stand that for too long…?

If you recall the commentary for episode 10, the thing about Sheryl in her 20s, the implication that she’d immerse herself too much in her roles and thus potentially fall in love with her costars, echoes what Kawamori said about Alto in the Kabuki world. (^_^) It makes so much sense to me though…

Kawamori seems to think all the girls are a little complicated.

They totally are, though! If I were a guy, I’d probably go for Monica too, to be honest. The others would be just too much trouble to deal with!

Too bad they never made an animated version of that pharaoh scene.

agrees I would have loved to see that!

Re: Sheryl being the ‘weak one’…
In some ways, I feel that this is associated with Sheryl’s character arc. The way it develops in series and the films is slightly different, but I really got the sense that Sheryl felt that her songs were all she had. Hence, if they were taken away, which happened in both animated versions of the story, then she effectively was no one. Which is why the relationships she developed were so important. Ranka, by way of contrast, would have been fine even without making it as an idol, you get the sense that she had a full life. But Sheryl had her music…and nothing else (well, Grace – and we know how that ended up in the series), at least until she met Alto and Ranka. Personally, that’s why I agree with Kawamori’s assessment that Sheryl is definitely the weaker one.

In a large part it’s due to May’n and Megumi, but Kawamori hit the nail on the head with how their songs come off to me.

Kanno-san presumably had a large part to play too. I’m not really sure which came first: finding May’n and Megumi, or deciding the two characters’ musical styles. I should probably read some of Kanno’s interviews too!

You’re very welcome. I really enjoyed both of them myself. Will see if the FF one is worth translating, and then I may just have to stop and concentrate on other things I have to do (^^;; )

I always had a soft spot for Shammi from the original BB’s, but I admit I too would go for Monica if I were a guy. Or maybe Bobby. He got left out of this interview, pitty really.

I think Alto could live with it, he needs someone to challenge him and poison him with bad cooking every now and then. (^_^;;) He copes pretty well in KitG 4.
I can see Sheryl immersing herself in a role that much, but I’m pretty sure she would find her way back to Alto. I remember ghostlightning on WRL talking about how Ranka would be the idol and Sheryl would go and have babies after Frontier. I just can’t see that happening, from a realistic point of view. Getting married in her 30’s seems much more likely, for the both of them. Ranka I can see getting married pretty young and keeping her career.
Going back to pop singers, Kumi married in 2011 and had her first child last year, she is 30. Ayu had a divorce not too long ago. Beyoncé married in 2008 and gave birth to her first baby last year too, she’s 31 so that’s about right for modern standards.

The interview is interesting because even with all the questions raised for the future they would share, the outcome of the ending is never questioned by Kawamori. Going back to how people argued over the series ending, it really feels like Alto and Sheryl would end up either way. The reason Alto fell for her is true for the series, the movies and every other story. And Kawamori doesn’t feel pressured when talking about the couples, he is very open and I love that.

—-

True, but I think this has a lot to do with different circumstances in their lives. If you look at it this way, the reason Ranka would be fine isn’t because she is stronger, that she has a brother and friends is because she was lucky after she faced tragedy. Sheryl was unlucky and even her career was built at least partly on lies in both stories. Personality wise both girls had moments of breakdown, Ranka in 20 and Sheryl in 18. Though she did loose hope by 25, it can be chucked up to her dying and thinking there was no way out. Ranka had her own moments like that when she got captured by Grace, before she woke up. Which is why I see them as somewhat equalls if I wheigh the different situations they were in.

—-

I would guess they had it easier when they had both girls on board, May’n can be cute in a silly way but is no 80’s idol, Megumi can sing really well and I wish she would get more songs like Try Unite! and Marble, but she does a great job with the idol gig. I think her Anata no Oto from Nyan Cli is a bit similar to Eriko Tamura’s Idol Densetsu Eriko opening, though Megumi is far more talented. I’ll never understand some of the idol hype of the 80’s, Eriko in particular. It doesn’t help that the singing voice of her rival in the anime is Maiko Hashimoto, who is one of the many forgotten talents of the time (and her voice is a childhood “crush” of mine, Say Yes! being one of my favourite anime songs of the decade).

Very good point – Bobby would be a fantastic choice too!! And to top it off, he’s apparently a great cook, IIRC!

…well…I don’t know about you, but that little chapterlet of KitG vol 4 really had me doubling over in sympathy! It really is a good thing that Alto was brought up as an oyama!

GL did? Er…I really can’t see Sheryl getting married in her 20s either, Alto or not! Or, if she did, no babies until her 30s. Most definitely not straight after the events of Frontier. As for Ranka…well, I suppose I could see her getting married younger. Though whether that’s because (I think) she’s still going to look very young when she hits her 20s and 30s is a question that I’ll have to consider further… But the comparisons with modern day pop singers are great – totally agreed – they’d want to have their careers first!

The interview is interesting because even with all the questions raised for the future they would share, the outcome of the ending is never questioned by Kawamori. Going back to how people argued over the series ending, it really feels like Alto and Sheryl would end up either way. The reason Alto fell for her is true for the series, the movies and every other story. And Kawamori doesn’t feel pressured when talking about the couples, he is very open and I love that.

In some ways, though, it really depends on the approach towards Macross that one prefers. I can see certain people arguing that the context of the interview is important: this is volume 4 of KitG, after all, so of course they’re going to talk about the pairings in it. Those of us who adhere to the ‘different representations of the same history’ approach will keep saying that Kawamori’s answers here have been made with that approach in mind, but a certain faction of ‘parallel world’ fans will keep arguing otherwise.

Not here, though, no sirree!! (^_^;;; )

True, but I think this has a lot to do with different circumstances in their lives. If you look at it this way, the reason Ranka would be fine isn’t because she is stronger, that she has a brother and friends is because she was lucky after she faced tragedy. Sheryl was unlucky and even her career was built at least partly on lies in both stories. Personality wise both girls had moments of breakdown, Ranka in 20 and Sheryl in 18. Though she did loose hope by 25, it can be chucked up to her dying and thinking there was no way out. Ranka had her own moments like that when she got captured by Grace, before she woke up. Which is why I see them as somewhat equalls if I wheigh the different situations they were in.

That’s what I mean by Sheryl being ‘weaker’ though – she doesn’t have that many things that she gets strength from. There’s Grace, and there’s her music…until she meets Alto and Ranka that is. And on top of that, there’s the spectre of her death weighing on her mind. So, because of these two things, she’s not as strong as Ranka.

Hm…it’d be interesting to debate about the comparative significance of those two breakdowns. Many people would say that Ranka’s breakdown in 20 was different to that of Sheryl’s in 18. We could say that, in a sense, Sheryl lost everything in episode 18. The person she was closest to (Grace), her music…and even her future. It’s really a good thing that Yasaburo and Michel were there to push Alto towards her, and that she realised during the episode 20 attack that she could still instill courage in people, or she might never have picked herself back up. On the other hand, what did Ranka lose? Some would argue that it was just ‘her first love’, which paints Ranka as a very shallow character, one who, unfortunately, made her crush the center of her world.

But that interpretation actually misses how Ranka’s music was also gradually being stolen from her. In episode 16 (Ranka Attack), it was turned into a weapon to be used against the Vajra. It hurt her whenever they were killed, which left her in a terrible dilemma because everyone was telling her that fighting the Vajra was the right thing to do, that it was ‘kill or be killed’, despite her gut telling her exactly the opposite. The revelation that Ai-kun was a Vajra, and that it meant her no harm, only reinforced that gut feeling, and cemented her decision to try and find a third path. Hence, Ranka’s decision to leave was a huge show of strength – she did not have the support of her brother (I must admit, I’m not sure why she didn’t try to seek him out instead of Alto), nor of the person she loved, but she made the decision to do what she felt was right and took the opportunity when it was presented to her.

In terms of their situations then, the main difference between the two was that Sheryl was dying. There’s nothing that can really compare to that, I think. If one manages to come to terms with it, as Sheryl did in both series and films, then it shows a great deal of inner strength too. But the reason she was able to do that was arguably because Alto (and in the films, Ranka too) recognised how ‘weak’ she was, and was there for her.

—–

I am going to have to find time to look all of those songs and other artistes up, because I really have no idea about any of them! (^_^;;;; ) If Minmay is the epitome of the ’80’s idol though, then that’s probably why I prefer Sheryl’s music in the TV series a little bit more – I really can’t get into the former (it’s terrible, I know). That said, two of Ranka’s songs for the films, along with Songbird from the Christmas album, are my favourites from 2010 onwards…

Wow, my eyes nearly popped out when I saw the heading for this article – well done, Karice! This is crazy pairings material, so much that I understand why you kept this locked up, phew, because some of this stuff is reminiscent of our crazy shipper conversations and, hello, shipwars v3.0.

I was rather surprised to see how much Kawamori seemed to be at ease when talking about these things, I loved it, as well as the fangirly nature, GAH. I mean, marriage. Babies. Being grandparents. Granted, some are tongue in cheek but. Oh God, my heart.

I’ll be back soon to offer my two cents, once I can form a coherent sentence. I just… *spazzes*

I…er…took some creative liberties with that title/heading. Literally, it’s “Now we can talk about it – xx about the couples of Macross F!” (^_^;;; ) But it seemed to fit the content.

Though his greatest love is arguably still the transforming planes, Kawamori really shares the heart of a fangirl, doesn’t he? Or perhaps we could say that he really understands the doujin scene – about all the people (mostly women/girls, admittedly) who are just unabashedly going to imagine what happens next. Very painful for everyone who wants to know exactly what happens…but personally, I quite like it. Bring on the fanfiction and fanart, I say!

Haha, yeah, I can see why you were reluctant to put this stuff out in public on your own page back when Frontier shipping wars were in full swing. Me, I’m comfy with everything in Macross “continuity” being open to interpretation – it’s all meta re-tellings so nothing’s set in stone. I can have my TV ending OT3 if I want it. 😉

Not only on my own page—I didn’t post it anywhere else either. But I doubt I was the only Japanese-literate fan who’d read the interview, so there might have been other conversations going on about it elsewhere. I sort of took myself out of the fandom shortly after I translated this, though, so I really don’t know…

Haha – I can definitely see why the ‘slogan’ of “nothing’s set in stone” appeals to some even while it frustrates others. My own take on Kawamori’s stance places me somewhere in the middle. Basically, because I take these re-tellings as ‘historical evidence’ to be analysed from a historian’s perspective, I’d argue that there are pretty clear limits as to what the characters would do. For example, I definitely don’t discount ‘shipping’ the three mains together…but that would be in terms of ‘relationshipping’ rather than ‘mutually exclusive partnershipping’, if you know what I mean. ^^;;